Analysis of ISO 9001:2015 certification in Portugal and comparison with other countries: effects of development scores, crisis, and economic cycles

Purpose – Quality management systems implemented in accordance with ISO 9001:2015 are internationally recognized since the standard is universal. Currently, certification in this area is in high demand, so it is interesting to understand how different countries use these quality management systems to promote their success.

Design/methodology/approach – From this perspective, a data survey was carried out regarding the number of companies certified by ISO 9001:2015 in Portugal and several countries, split into three groups according to their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Human Development Index (HDI). The first group consists of countries scoring some the highest values in terms of GDP and HDI (respectively China and Norway); the second one consists of countries with low scores in their GDP and HDI (Niger and Tuvalu); and the third group lists countries with fair scores in both indexes (Slovakia and Israel). This study shows the evolution of ISO 9001 certification in Portugal over the years and compares it with other countries with varying development scores. In depth studies were made on the industrial sectors that make greater use of certification in Portugal, and to the possible impacts of economic cycles and crisis.

Findings – No sharp or long-lasting decreases were identified following major economic events, either national or global. In the particular case of Portugal, it was observed that despite a decrease in certification after the 2012 crisis, such decrease it was neither long-lasting nor very significant in relation to previous years.

ISO 9001:2015; Quality Management Systems, Sustainable Development